The present invention relates generally to stairway devices and, more particularly, to step treads and the like.
During new construction or remodeling of multiple level buildings, for example, a temporary stairway may be installed and used until such time as a finished stairway may be installed without probable risk of subsequent damage from the construction activity. The step treads of such temporary stairways are commonly fabricated from scrap construction materials, including, but not limited to, structural sheet goods like plywood and oriented strand board and structural framing materials like two-by-fours and two-by-sixes. However, these scrap materials are often not intended for step tread use, and the resulting temporary tread is commonly structurally inadequate or otherwise unsafe.
Locally enforced building codes specify minimum requirements for stairways, including minimum tread depth and maximum rise height. The Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) national building code for 1991 and 1993, for example, specifies a maximum rise height of 7 inches and a minimum tread depth of 11 inches with an exception for residential construction, wherein a maximum rise height of 8 1/4 inches and a minimum tread depth of 9 inches is required. Clearly, the use of scrap materials to construct temporary stair treads can easily take the stairway outside of code requirements. A set of three two-by-fours with a dimensional depth of 3 1/4 inches will fall short of the minimum required 11 inch tread depth for general construction by 1 1/4 inches, while the combination of a two-by-four and a two-by-six (5 1/4 inches dimensional depth) will fall short of the residential minimum tread depth of 9 inches by 1/2 inch. Further, the stringers used for construction of a temporary stairway will commonly be used for the finished stairway. Thus, if the finished stair tread material has a dimensional thickness of one inch, for example, the use of two inch framing lumber can easily exceed the maximum allowed riser height.
Builders may use scrap materials for temporary stairway treads to minimize costs and maximize material utilization. However, such perceived savings may, in fact, be lost to work site accidents and resulting safety costs. Thus, there is a clear need for a cost-effective and safe stairway step tread which may be used for temporary stairway construction.